Fisheries Development and Maintenance
Fisheries Development Services
The development of fisheries falls under a number of different headings such as access facilities including stands, stiles and footbridges and ancillary access such as car parks. Habitat and river enhancement are also vitally important and include instream enhancement such as turning gravel and building weirs, stocking, restocking, electrofishing, fauna sampling, population sampling, swim clearence, monitoring of fish movements and monitoring of spawning fish.
Access Improvement: Many fisheries are overgrown and it is the Boards objective to make as many of these fisheries as accessible as possible for angling.
Board staff clearing scrub and trees to create better access.
Over the years many of our rivers and streams have become overgrown which has limited access to these area of rivers. By removing the offending trees and bushes the Board has managed to open up new stretches for angling. This work is extremely beneficial as it reduces pressure on other areas of the river and allows extra capacity. It also allows light to penetrate the stream and overall is very beneficial to the instream habitat. A minimum of cutting is carried out during this work to achieve maximum access with minimum negative impact on the environment.
Many stiles stands and footbridges have been erected on the rivers and lakes of the area. Anglers can now access the fisheries and swims more easily. A number of car parks have been put in place at lakes where before parking was practically impossible.
The New Car Park at Galloncurragh Lake, Co. Cavan
Galloncurragh Lough is located 5km southwest of Bailieboro in Co. Cavan. This lake held the Irish roach x bream hybrid record in 1995. It also hold good stocks of large pike. Although the lake was well developed with stands stiles and footbridges the lake could not be utilised to its full potential due to the poor parking. A new car park has now been provided at this important fishing venue by the E.R.F.B with the co-operation and assistance of the local farmers and community. This will hopefully assist anglers enjoy this great venue and perhaps regain that Irish record!
Habitat and River Enhancement: Rivers and streams are important to the well being of the catchment. Over time gravel beds may become compacted and this is detrimental to the wellfare of the stream. By loosening the gravel fisheries staff improve the habitat by making extra gravel beds available to salmonids for spawning. When the fish spawn the loosned gravel enables well oxygenated water to pass freely through the spawning bed to the hatching eggs. This will help increase the stock of fish in the watercourse and help the stream achieve maximum sustainable yield. The loosened gravel also provides cover and shelter to the many invertebrates that inhabit the stream. The increased yeild of invertibrates will provide more food for for the juvenile and adult inhabitants of the stream
Eastern Regional Fisheries Board loosening gravel on the Stoneyford, Co. Meath